Detemir vs Glargine: Comparison of Inpatient Glycemic Control.

Context: Hyperglycemia in the hospital setting is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In an attempt to cut costs, some hospitals implement policies to substitute all glargine orders with detemir.

Objective: To examine how the substitution of glargine with detemir affects inpatient blood glucose control.

Utilization of baclofen in maintenance of alcohol abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence and alcoholic hepatitis with or without cirrhosis.

Aim: To report the efficacy and safety of baclofen in improving clinical state in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.

Method: Single center, open, retrospective study analyzing the effects of baclofen utilized over 12 months in patients with alcoholic hepatitis with or without cirrhosis and alcohol dependence on these liver parameters: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (Tbili), prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), albumin and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score.

Results: Out of 40 patients, 35 were treated with baclofen.

Cyclooxygenase-2 deficiency enhances Th2 immune responses and impairs neutrophil recruitment in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a prostanoid-synthesizing enzyme that is critically implicated in a variety of pathophysiological processes. Using a COX-2-deficient mouse model, we present data that suggest that COX-2 has an active role in liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We demonstrate that COX-2-deficient mice had a significant reduction in liver damage after I/R insult.

Phenotype and effector function of CC chemokine receptor 9-expressing lymphocytes in small intestinal Crohn's disease.

CCL25/CCR9 chemokine ligand/receptor pair has been reported to play an important role in small bowel (SB) immunity and inflammation. We have previously reported an aberrant SB expression of CCL25 in Crohn's disease (CD) and an increased frequency of CCR9(+) T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with SB inflammatory diseases such as CD and celiac disease. In this study, we have characterized the phenotype and effector function of CCR9(+) T cells in mucosal lymphoid tissues in CD.

Expression and functional characterization of FOXP3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells in ulcerative colitis.

Background: CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (TR) can prevent or treat experimental murine colitis but little is known about their potential role in human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). FOXP3 is a transcription factor that plays a critical role in the development and function of CD4+CD25+ TR. The aim of this study was to examine the presence and functional characteristics of TR cells in colonic lymphoid tissues in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Dominant role for TL1A/DR3 pathway in IL-12 plus IL-18-induced IFN-gamma production by peripheral blood and mucosal CCR9+ T lymphocytes.

The TNF-like cytokine TL1A augments IFN-gamma production by anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 and IL-12/IL-18-stimulated peripheral blood (PB) T cells. However, only a small subset of PB T cells respond to TL1A stimulation with IFN-gamma production. PB CCR9+ T cells represent a small subset of circulating T cells with mucosal T cell characteristics and a Th1/Tr1 cytokine profile.